Product Description

“Romanian soprano Nelly Miricioiu has had one of the major operatic careers beginning in the last two decades of the twentieth century. She is a lyric/dramatic soprano with a repertory that embraces the most powerful Italian dramatic roles and the great bel canto heroines.

She studied in Iasi, a regional center in Romania, then continued her schooling in Milan. In 1982, things began to happen for her. She made her debut at Covent Garden in London as Nedda opposite the great Canadian tenor Jon Vickers, with Piero Cappuccili and Thomas Allen also in the cast. Then in the Opéra-Comique of Paris she sang the leading female roles in all three main acts of Offenbach's LES CONTES d’HOFFMANN, again to general acclaim. Her rise to stardom occurred in 1983 when she triumphed at La Scala, Milan in her début there, as Lucia di Lammermoor. By then Covent Garden had already engaged her to return, and in short order she sang Musetta in LA BOHEME, Valentine in Meyerbeer's LES HUGUENOTS, and Marguerite in Gounod's FAUST. She first sang with the English National Opera in 1984 as Violetta, which has become one of her signature roles. As an artist at the peak of the operatic hierarchy, she has sung in most if not all of the world's great houses. Her Metropolitan début was in 1989 as Mimì in LA BOHEME, and with some of the greatest stars of the operatic stage, including José Carreras, Plácido Domingo, Renato Bruson, Roberto Alagna, Franco Bonisoli, José Cura, Neil Shicoff, and Alfred Kraus. In the 1990s, she expanded her repertory into the great bel canto roles and has become one of the sopranos most in demand for that repertory. She is also active as a concert singer. In 1986, she established an important series called the Vara Matinee Concerts at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw and is particularly well known for her interpretations of the songs of Duparc. She has made numerous recordings.”

- Joseph Stevenson, allmusic.com

"Matteuzzi has been widely admired, not least for the good taste and the stylistic refinement of his singing. This is evident...[as it] calls to mind the name of Tito Schipa.”

- GRAMOPHONE

“Italian tenor William Matteuzzi had a unique voice. And if Pavarotti was hailed as the ‘King of the High Cs’, Matteuzzi can rightfully be claimed the ‘King of the High Fs’ – high F above high C! His specialty was the high stratosphere of the 19th Century bel canto school of Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini with throat-shredding tessitura and high notes….Matteuzzi sings everything full voice! – big, imposing, colorful in sound, with agility to spare and sensible musicality….Saving the best for the end, Matteuzzi roars through the incredibly difficult ‘Credeasi Misera’ from Bellini’s PURITANI. It must be heard to be believed.”